I got back home to West Side Cleveland tonight about the same time a neighboring businessman, who clerks at Edgewater Deli, died at Lakewood Hospital, of a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Rest in peace, Salim Alsoliman, 54. This senseless murder has been declared a robbery, with the murderers fleeing by car. I sometimes shop at the Edgewater Delicatessen, on Lake Avenue at West 87th Street, which had another clerk killing last year... so I've probably talked to the latest victim before. I remember, after the last Edgewater Deli killing, of Saleem Muqdady, 28, the owner of another convenient store on Fulton near Bridge, in Ohio City, installed bullet-proof glass at the register...which made Ohio City feel less safe. That owner doesn't usually hide behind the glass, but I'm sure he will now, at least until they catch the freaks who killed the latest of his brothers.  I've always considered Fulton and Bridge and the area of Lake and W. 87th very nice, but they are each near freeway on-ramps and so quick get-aways... just like my street of W. 45th, a block from another senseless murder in my neighborhood. It is sad to realize the reasons for senseless murder can be as simple as poor, sick, dirty dogs with guns, cars and good freeway access... very American Dream, really.  So sick. More about the Alsoliman murder below...

Deli clerk killed, another wounded, on West Side

12 a.m.

Two men held up a West Side delicatessen Sunday evening, fatally shooting one clerk and wounding another, police said.

The robbery was reported about 8 p.m. at the Edgewater Delicatessen on Lake Avenue at West 87th Street.

The victims, both men, were rushed to Lakewood Hospital. One of the men was shot in the abdomen, the other in a leg. The clerk with the more serious wound died about an hour later.

The names of the victims were not immediately available.

The robbers, both males, fled in a car, said Sgt. Daniel Fay, a Cleveland police spokesman.

Neighbors said the delicatessen owner, whose name was not available, learned about the shootings when he arrived at the store about two hours later to close up.

Neighbors recalled another shooting at the store 16 months ago.

Saleem Muqdady, 28, a store clerk, was fatally shot in the neck during a daylight robbery on May 8, 2005.

By Thomas J. Quinn, tquinn [at] plaind [dot] com
and Janet Okoben, jokoben [at] plaind [dot] com